Tipperary Racing Scene

Trainer Philip Fenton featured among the winners on the rearranged second day of the Navan Racing Festival at Navan where the Patricia Hogan-owned Balko D’ange landed the two-mile handicap hurdle.

A 4/1 joint-favourite in the hands of Brian Hayes, the five-year-old led on the run to the final hurdle and he went clear to beat the Gerry Keane-trained Ragmans Corner by a comfortable three and a half lengths.

There was also a Tipperary and Cork connection to the winner of the opportunity maiden hurdle at Limerick on Tuesday.

Trained by John Ryan and ridden by Michael Kenneally, the Fairymount Partnership-owned 8/1 chance Piccolo Player took the honours and he scored by a cosy length and a quarter from Eric McNamara’s odds-on favourite Torps.

Pat Doyle sent out a wide-margin winner of the concluding ladies’ bumper as 5/4 chance Mossy Way trounced his opposition under Clare amateur Emily Costello. The Mary Doyle-owned five-year-old made all the running and edged clear early in the straight to win by 27 lengths from Pat Breen’s Lord Lackendarra with Gordon Elliott’s even money favourite Tip Of The Wings a head back in third place.

The association between owner James Gough and trainer Denis Hogan yielded further success at Dundalk on Wednesday when the five-year-old Fleetfootsoldier landed the seven-furlong handicap. Ridden by Joey Sheridan, the 9/2 chance headed Ado McGuinness’ favourite Una Matata close to the finish to win by half a length.

Recently crowned champion apprentice Wayne Hassett combined with trainer Laura Hourigan to win the eight-furlong handicap with 33/1 chance Notforalongtime.

Successful in the corresponding race in 2022, the eight-year-old brought his career tally to ten wins, seven of those for the Patrickswell trainer, when gamely holding the challenge of Paul Flynn’s favourite Moyassr by a shorthead.

The six-year-old William Tell won the two and three-quarter-mile novice hurdle for his owner/breeder Otto Kueres at Thurles on Thursday.

Ridden by Cian Quirke for trainer Harry Kelly, the 15/2 chance led at the second-last hurdle and was well on top in beating the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Heron’s Butler by a length and a quarter, the pair seven lengths clear of Kelly’s Nelson Muntz in third place.

Nenagh trainer Michael O’Meara took the second division of the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle with the Daniel King-ridden Plunkett Street. A 5/1 chance for the Ryan & O’Meara Partnership, she led on the run to the final hurdle and went clear to win by all five lengths from the Henry de Bromhead-trained Lambay Island, another 5/1 chance which was ridden by Darragh O'Keeffe.

Five and a half lengths was the winning margin as 5/2 joint-favourite Mullahgloss landed the concluding two-mile amateur riders’ maiden hurdle. Adam Ryan was in the saddle as the Andy Slattery-trained four-year-old made all the running to score in the colours of the Punchestown Friends Syndicate.

A fine effort in the saddle from Harry Swan got the Gordon Elliott-trained Unflinching home a narrow winner of the concluding bumper at Fairyhouse on Friday.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned 11/10 favourite led after halfway but was headed early in the straight and quickly looked booked for only third place well inside the final furlong before rallying to lead again the final strides. The grey got up to pip Nigel Slevin’s 11/1 chance All Night Revival by a neck, with the Jack Foley-trained Catalani three-parts of a length away in third place.

Denis Hogan sent out another winner in the James McAuley colours as the Shane Foley-ridden 7/2 favourite Lismacbryan Hill scored a battling success in the six-furlong handicap at Dundalk on Friday. The four-year-old made the running until headed by the Sean Davis-trained 50/1 chance Rift Valley over a furlong out but she dug deep again to lead inside the final 100 yards to score by a head.

The six-year-old Nowwhatdoyouthink scored the easiest of wins in the two-mile five-furlong beginners' chase at Cork on Sunday. Owned and trained by Ray Hackett and ridden by Liam Quinlan, the 8/1 chance led before the second-last fence and had any amount in hand in beating the Oliver McKiernan-trained Supreme Jet by six and a half lengths.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Dundalk – Wednesday, November 26 (First race 2.18pm)

Thurles – Thursday, November 27 (First race 12.17pm)

Dundalk – Friday, November 28 (First race 5.25pm)

Fairyhouse – Saturday, November 29 (First race 11.36am)

Fairyhouse – Sunday, November 30 (First race 12.05pm)